


Check Yes Juliet

by Snowchildhero (wolfishscribbles)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-28
Updated: 2013-02-28
Packaged: 2017-12-03 20:58:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/702579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfishscribbles/pseuds/Snowchildhero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cronus and Aranea have a discussion about Shakespeare's most popular play.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Check Yes Juliet

**Author's Note:**

> The song used in this fic is Check Yes Juliet by We the Kings, and all credit to them for their lyrics and music, because I sure can't write songs! The song can be found here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CUyWJ7UINM) with an acoustic version more reminiscent of how Cronus might have sounded here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VWSmQhLFgo)
> 
> This was a fic I wrote during the aftermath of hurricane Sandy, when I was literally 'homestuck' for a week. It was recently beta'd by squigglenaut@tumblr, who I am extremely grateful to! As strange as this pairing is, and as different as they are from their Alternian counterparts, I still find a certain charm in this pairing and wish there was more of it.

The thing Aranea liked most about being dead was that she had so much time to read. The dream bubble that she currently resided in had an amazing library, with books from trolls and humans alike. Today she had a stack of books by William Shakespeare piled up and ready to go. She was currently finishing Romeo and Juliet, which she was finding delightfully controversial. And she would have made it to the last page without interruption...if the sound of a guitar had not interrupted her train of thought. Peering out from behind the shelves, she spied Cronus with his guitar, looking quite cozy on a couch in the center of the library, strumming away and muttering lyrics to himself.  
  
  
  
This left her with a choice – she could step out and scold him, running the risk of getting hit on, but also the advantage of at least having someone to talk to (or at, which was so often the case with her.) Or she could stay in her corner of Shakespeare books and hope he went away soon. She didn't feel the need to shrink and hide from the troll, after all, it was within her rights to complain. So out she stormed, the book still in her hands.  
  
  
  
“Cronus Ampora, what possessed you to bring your guitar in here and start practicing? This is a LIBRARY, you know. Not a concert hall! And definitely not the kind of place you should be playing music.” The violet blood paused and looked up at her, a mischievous grin spreading over his lips as he lowered the guitar to his lap.  
  
  
  
“Well, well, well, Aranea, I shouldn't be so surprised to see you here. I suppose I'm more surprised that I haven't run into you sooner.” He stood up and began to stroll over to her, guitar hanging from the strap on his shoulders, a bit of a swagger in his step. He seemed happy to see her, an observation that made her stomach jittery. Though she could not completely decide if all those jitters were bad. “I'll have you know, I come here to play a lot, because it's usually deserted.”  
  
  
  
“Oh.” She replied, feeling the blue rush to her face. “Well, I guess you have a point...even back on Beforus the libraries were sadly underused. You would think that years of death would get trolls more interested in reading to pass the time, but no...not our lot.” She sighed deeply and looked back down to the book in her hand. Cronus's eyes fell on the volume, and recognition clicked in.  
  
  
  
“Ahhh, Romeo and Juliet! Reading the human classics I see? Good choice, it's one of my favorites. Are you itching for a good romance, because you know, you don't have to read that book to get that.” Grinning, he lightly elbowed her, in his typical suggestive way. That wasn't anything surprising at all. What did pique her interest slightly was the disdain and resentment she felt off him, just at the mention of the book.  
  
  
  
“Cronus, it would do you well to remember that I'm an empath. I know you think you'll have some chance of filling a quadrant with me if you tell me that you like the book, which couldn't be further from the truth. However, if you are willing to behave yourself and not take this as a sign that I'm interested in pailing with you, I would be very interested in hearing why you dislike it. To be honest, I dislike parts of it myself!” After she spoke, she worried that maybe she had rambled too much. Maybe the only word he would hear is the word 'interested' and it would take her hours to shake him off. And it was still possible that it would be the case. But for now, Cronus reached out and took the book from her, strolling back over to the couch as he flipped through it.  
  
  
  
“This whole book is fucking bullshit. It's hyped as being the greatest human romance ever, so I took a lot of time to read it, and by the end of it, I wanted to toss it out the window.” He threw it back at her, and she caught it. “I couldn't stand it. Both of them were stupid, dying for someone they just met.” He took a cigarette out of his pocket and began to toy with it, before plopping it in his mouth.

  
  
“Why Cronus...I didn't think you had a literary critiquing bone in your undead body! I must admit, I was exceedingly underwhelmed by the development of their romance as well. Do tell me more!” She had not expected to find another troll who had read Shakespeare, let alone was willing to discuss it with her. Cronus was a bit surprised by her interest, but was more than willing to keep going.  
  
  
  
“I guess it wasn't all bad. That Mercutio cat, he was pretty cool with his crazy talk. I was actually sorry when he died.”  
  
  
  
“Mercutio is the best character in the play, I agree with you on that. His one speech in the first act is analyzed to pieces and I am still not sure anyone ever gets it right. But it's still terribly interesting! As for the hero and heroine though...they were so naive. I felt bad for them, to be honest with you.”  
  
  
  
“I don't. Romeo was an idiot. He could have had chicks everywhere if he had just played his cards right. Instead he settled for the one with the crazy ass family, and they both wound up dead.”  
  
  
  
“But they were young, and just starting to understand the feelings of human love! The fact that they were so stupid about it is the tragedy!”  
  
“Nah, the only tragedy of the matter is that Romeo missed out on getting with Rosaline for real before Juliet came along.” He grinned a toothy grin, but Aranea wasn't having any of it. She dropped the book in frustration on the table.  
  
  
  
“I don't know why I thought for a minute that you would be able to seriously understand this! Sure, you may understand the words, better than most trolls do, I'll give you that. But when it comes to romance of any form, human or troll, all you care about is the pailing!!! You wouldn't know innocent first love if it bit you in the face!” He was staring at her now, lifting a finger to say something in reply, but she turned on her heel.  
  
  
  
“And this is why you don't have any quadrants filled, Cronus.” She stated coldly, hurrying from the library. She didn't bother looking back at him, not wanting to see what sort of face he would put on in response. She couldn't stop her empathic abilities from picking up on the hurt, though. It only made her walk faster.  
  
~*~  
  
  
That night Aranea was sitting in her respiteblock, staring into a mirror as she brushed her hair. For some reason, she couldn't get the conversation with Cronus out of her head. Yes, he was a pervert, that much was for certain. And he had a million other flaws. But he had actually read and understood that play, and she had enjoyed having someone to talk to about it – even if they didn't agree on everything. Why did he have to be such a sleaze bag about it?!  
  
  
  
Suddenly, she heard sounds coming from under her window. She could hear the plucks of guitar strings...and then she heard Cronus's voice.  
  
  
  
“ _Check yes Juliet, are you with me? Rain is falling down on the side walk, I won't go until you come out side..._ ” No one ever gave him credit for it, since the words coming out of his mouth were usually so disgusting, but Cronus did have a good singing voice. She made her way closer to the window, and then ventured so far as to peer down at him. “ _Check yes Juliet, kill the limbo, I'll keep tossing rocks at your window, there's no turning back for us tonight. Lace up your shoes ey oh ey oh, here's how we do..._ ” Blank white eyes met her own. They may be dead, but she could both see and feel the red tinted sentiments coming from the music. For once, there was no mention of pails.  
  
  
  
“ _Run baby run, don't ever look back, they'll tear us apart if you give them the chance. Don't sell your heart don't say we're not meant to be, run baby run, forever we'll be, you and me._ ”  
  
  
  
Much to her surprise, the song was sweet, not lustful, and actually pretty catchy. It had embodied the very innocence that she had been sure Cronus had no understanding of. When he finished, she was for once rendered speechless. And, also for once, he did not have a bad pick up line on the edge of his tongue. He bowed and turned to walk away, her silence was answer enough.  
  
  
  
“Cronus!” She called out after a minute of watching his back. He looked over his shoulder at her, a cigarette now between his teeth. “...If we can keep pailing out of it, can we talk Hamlet some time?” Cronus smirked and winked, pointing up at her with both his index fingers.

  
“Sure thing, dollface, see you tomorrow.”

  
“Don't call me dollface!”

  
“Gotcha, dollface!” Aranea watched him leave, facepalming.

  
This might not be the start of a beautiful friendship. But it was a start.  
  
  
  
The End.


End file.
